Fire-escape



(No Model.)

C. SCHULTE. PIRE ESCAPE.

No. 355,349. Patented Jan., 4; v1887.

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Fins-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355.349, dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed February 25, 1886. Serial No. 193,156.

`hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of. this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in tire-escapes; and the object of' my invention is to construct a tire-escape that shall be so simple and easily manipulated that it can be used by timid persons for their own escape as well as for the escape of invalids and children, and which is furthermore so arranged that it can always be kept in sight ready for instant use.

` The use of fixed lireescapes in private buildings is always avoided from the fact of their forming an unsightly, conspicuous, and suggestive object, besides being expensive, and so recourse is had to portable ones, which can be stowed away in a trunk or closet, and the result is, that at a sudden tire-alarm, especially at night time, utter confusion is created, as the fire-escape has to be discovered first, and then when it is dragged ont of its hiding-place it consists generally of a bundle of ropes, which, in the reigning state of excitement, nobody has time to unravel and adjust, and for this reason I have constructed a hre-escape which, although partaking ofthe portable nature, can be always'kept in sight and arranged for almost instant .use without being conspicuous, whet-her displayed in a parlor or in any other part of a dwelling.

To this end my invention consists, first, in the peculiar construction and arrangement of certain parts, whereby the object of escaping out of a window isobtaincd; and, second, in the combination of thc peculiariy-constructed canvas bag with a pecnliarly-constructed table, whereby the nature of the hre-escape is so disguised that it may be kept in sight and ready for use without forming a conspicuous or disagreeably suggestive object.

In the drawings which accompany this speciiication, Figure l is a perspective view showing my fire-escape as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical central cross-section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of the canvas (No model.)

bag. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the table used in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the fire-escape transformed into a household article.

A is a canvas bag of substantially rectangular shape and provided with a floor, B, and cover C. Each end of the canvas bag is secured within a loop, D, in such manner that when in use, as shown in Fig. l, the bag and its contents are'tirmly supported by the loops without changing the general shape of the bag. To the apex ot' the loops D, which may be formed of rope or other flexible material, are secured the ropes E.

F is a bar of suitable length to be used in the manner shown,and provided near its outer end with the blocks G, and near the middle with thedouble block H. The ropes E, after passing around these blocks, as shown, are passed through a canvas tube, I, secured on the inner side of the canvas bag near the middle thereof. All these parts are so arranged that the fire-escape may be secured in position, as shown,- and lowered from a window either by a person or persons on the ground or in the room, and having hold of the free ends E of the ropes, or by a person sittinginside the bag and compressing the canvas tube I in hands, so as to prevent the ropes from payingout too freely as the canvas with its burden descends by its gravity.

When not i-n use I keep the whole device ready for instant use by means of the table J. (Shown in Fig. 4.) This table has two hinged leaves, K, and is of such dimensions that when placed within the canvas bag and with loops D drawn over the top 'of the fra-me, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, it forms a spreaderframe for the canvas bag, so as to prevent any wrinkled appearance of the same. The leaves K may then be lowered andthe cover of the bag be thrown over. The ropes E'E and the bar F may be placed under the cover C or on a suitable shelf constructed underneath the ta-` ble. Thus the device is keptconstantly in sight, and maybe kept at the very place where it is most likely to be wanted, and when 0ccasion should arise no fatal delays in making use of it are liable to occur.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the ilexible bag A, loops D, window-bar F, blocks G G, central IOO double block, H, ropes E E, and the canvas folding cover will form a cover, substantially Io tube I, secured to the inside of said bag, and as and for the purpose specified. having free ends of said ropes passed therethrough substantially as and for the purpose het v 5 specified. f A CATEARINEmksGHULTE.

2. A re-cscape composed of the rectangui lar icxible bag having the rigid floor B, loops D, and folding cover G, the Whole adapted toserve with a spreader-frame, for which said' Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, EDMOND SGULLY. 

